Infrared heaters have been known for years but a continuing problem therewith has been the inefficiency thereof. The prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,972 issued to D. W. Covault which depicts an end table heater including a fan, lamps, plate and conductor rods over which air is circulated. U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,582 shows an electric furnace with lamps, fan asembly, metal cylinder housed in cabinet structure wherein air is circulated by fan through and around cylinder to absorb heat generated by lamps and concentrated in the galvanized metal unit to provide heated air which exits through grills at the top of heating device. Other items of the prior art include the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,520,830 issued to Borzner; 2,938,101 issued to Borzner; 3,104,307 issued to Garofalow et al; 1,534,571 issued to Conning; 2,527,013 issued to Kjelgaard; 2,919,338 issued to Covault et al; 1,694,351 issued to Long; and 2,888,007 issued to Tabor and showing solar radiation admitting windows. The present invention is designed to improve the efficiency over any of the above noted systems.
An object of the present invention is to provide an unique and highly efficient electric heater.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a simple but highly efficient infrared space heater.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an electric heater wherein air is circulated over and around lamps and over and through ferrous conduits.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an electric space heater having an enclosure with infrared lamps, reflector, fan, refractive lens and ferrous metal conduits enclosed therein, with air being circulated through said enclosure by said fan.
A further object of this invention is to provide a modular electric space heater having an enclosure with a fan, infrared lamps, reflector, a refractive lens, ferrous conduits in proximity to said lens, with air being drawn into the enclosure by the fan and circulated past the lamps around the lens and through and around the conduits and exhausted from the enclosure as heated air, with said enclosure adaptable for mounting in furniture pieces such as end tables, occasional tables and other household furniture.
A further object of this invention is to provide a modular space heater providing a path for circulating air therethrough which maximizes the heat transfer to the circulating air.
A further object of this invention is to provide a modular infrared space heater providing a path for circulating air therethrough which maximizes the heat transfer to the circulating air.
A further object of this invention is to provide an infrared space heater which employs a fan, infrared lamps, refractive lens and ferrous conduits which may be employed in housings capable of being stacked one on top of the other to provide additional heating.